The Ford Five Hundred is a full-size sedan developed by the Ford Motor Company, intended to be the successor to the Ford Taurus. In North America, its name draws inspiration from the Fairlane 500 and Galaxie 500 models of the 1950s through 1970s. It sits between the Ford Fusion and the Crown Victoria in terms of size. Its production is handled by Ford's Chicago Assembly plant.
Design
As a full-sized sedan, the Ford Five Hundred is longer than some of its competitors, such as the Chevrolet Impala and the Toyota Avalon. Powertrain choices include a 3.0 L Duratec 30 V6 engine and either a continuously variable transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission. It is available with front-wheel drive or the Haldex all-wheel drive system usually found in the Volvo XC90. A prototype 4.4L V8 model with a 6-inch longer body is also in the works. The vehicle was built using the Ford D3 platform which also supports the Volvo S60, S80, XC70, and XC90. The Mercury Montego, Ford Freestyle, and the Five Hundred all utilize the same platform.
Designed to provide large internal car volume while maintaining manageable external dimensions, the Five Hundred is also tall which gives drivers an SUV kind of command of the road. Furthermore, its trunk is one of the largest in its class and can accommodate 8 full-sized golf bags when fully loaded. The car was introduced at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Notable crash tests results conducted by NHTSA and IIHS further attest to its volvo roots.
Pricing and sales
The Five Hundred is available in SE, SEL, and Limited trim levels with all-wheel drive made available across the range. Base prices start at US$22,795 (for a front-wheel drive SE) and goes up to US$28,495 (for an all-wheel drive Limited). In terms of pricing, it has the lowest MSRP starting cost for its class. The car went into production on July 12, 2004 in Chicago and was released to the public by September. Despite criticism from the automotive press concerning its bland styling, the Ford Five Hundred has been a success for Ford, controlling 8.5% of the American large sedan market with more than 100,000 sold in 2005.
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